Welfare, food stamp jumps show struggles

COLUMBIA - Welcome it or disapprove, public assistance programs have played a central role in the daily drama of struggling South Carolinians.Food stamp recipients increased by 235,000, a jump of nearly 45 percent from the beginning of 2007 through the end of 2009, and the numbers continue to climb."It's overwhelming to say the least," said Linda Martin, director of the family assistance division at the S.C. Department of Social Services.But a digital overhaul of food stamp administration is under way, she said, with all 46 counties expected to use the new system by the end of the year."It's the only thing that's allowed us to hang on with very, very increased caseloads," Martin said. "We've done it by the skin of our teeth." The efforts have helped nudge the Palmetto State out of "the danger zone" of federal penalties for food stamp data errors, said Martin.A spike in food stamps is just one indicator life has been rough in South Carolina since the national recession took hold in 2007. The state's latest jobless rate, announced Friday, was 10.8 percent, a slight uptick from the previous month, and still among the worst in the nation.Data from the social service agency released this month reveal a state whose people are suffering: From 2007 through the end of 2009, the number of people receiving welfare grew 50 percent, from 33,854 to 50,875. The volume began to decline last fall, which Martin attributed to an economic recovery.

Child support enforcement caseloads have also grown, from about 215,000 at the start of 2007 to nearly 230,000 in May of this year - a 7 percent increase. Less dramatic statistically, but among the results state officials link directly to economic hardship, are a 4 percent increase in reports of child abuse and neglect and a 2 percent increase in the number of children in protective services.With widespread demand, does the public's attitude toward those who need government assistance soften? "The stigma lessens," said Beth Williams, an Aiken Technical College instructor who teaches a human services course at the University of South Carolina Aiken."People are seen more as victims and not as a culprit or somehow responsible for their new financial crisis." The issue of government assistance flared up in South Carolina this year when former Republican gubernatorial hopeful Andre Bauer compared the poor to stray animals that multiply if fed. More recently in Nevada, Republican Sharron Angle, a tea party favorite for U.S. Senate, has warned against creating a spoiled citizenry that has grown accustomed to government assistance.

From the opposite perspective, some have suggested this week that an unemployed mother of three who confessed to smothering her two toddlers in rural Orangeburg illustrates what happens after deep cuts to government assistance.Still, Williams noted the new dependence of once-comfortable families. "The middle class and in some cases the upper-middle class are directly affected by the recession," she said, pointing to foreclosures in stable neighborhoods and the loss of jobs requiring higher education."Parents must find ways to meet basic needs for their families," added Williams. "Since their situation has become dire, they now have fewer options and use pubic assistance services."